Coin box telemetering arrangement



y 23, 1953 R. R. STOKES 3,091,663

COIN BOX TELEMETERING ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 20. 1960 L 5129 I iTRANSMITTER 3521. I. cm: 23 RECEIVER a g l 4 22V 27 J lNl/ENTOR R. R.STOKES ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,091,663 COIN BOX TELEMETERINGARRANGEMENT Rembert R. Stokes, Springfield, N.J., assignor to BellTelephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed Dec. 20, 1960, Ser- No. 77,191 Claims. (Cl. 179-631) Thisinvention relates to telemetering means, and more particularly to anarrangement for indicating to a remote location that the cash receptacleof a coin operated device has been filled to a predetermined degree.

Coin operated devices are assuming an increasingly prominent role infulfilling the needs of todays society. In general, one of the mostimportant maintenance problems associated with this field is that ofscheduling coin collections. To the telephone industry in particular,which maintains an extensive network of coin operated subscribersubstations, this problem is of significant interest from two aspects:namely, profit margin and customer satisfaction. The relationshipbetween profits and collection scheduling stems from the obvious factthat substant-ial waste results from dispatching a man to collect apartially filled cash receptacle. The relationship between customersatisfaction and collection scheduling arises from the vulnerability ofa substations coin refund mechanism to be disabled by coins whichaccumulate in the deposit chute when a cash receptacle is full. In orderto prevent the occurrence of these undesirable events, information mustbe obtained which reveals when cash receptacles of coin operatedtelephones have been filled to a prodetermined level.

In the past, attempts to predict optimum collection schedules werebased, to a large extent, on extrapolations of previous records. Thismethod has serious shortcomings, however, because many stations, due totheir location among other things, fail to establish consistent usagepatterns. If, for example, a pay station is situated along a highway,its rate of use is influenced by such unpredictable factors as traificconditions, weather, and the like. In view of this statisticaldisability, attempts have been made to contrive supervisory arrangementsfor electrically signaling to a central ofiice whenever coins in areceptacle have accumulated to a predetermined height. Such schemes,however, by invariably requiring a transmission line exclusively devotedto supervisory signaling, have been found too costly for wide-scaleapplication.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to increase theefficiency of coin collection from coin operated devices.

It is a more specific object of this invention to indicate to a remotelocation that the coins in the cash receptacle in a coin ope-rateddevice have accumulated to a predetermined height.

According to the invention, a signal generator, situated in a coinoperated device and adapted to transmit supervisory information to aremote location, is constructed to be activated by the concurrentoperation of a pair of switches, one of these switches being operable inresponse to a condition existent when coins in the cash receptacle ofthe device have accumulated to a predetermined height.

One feature of the invention resides in a switch mechanism i'forestablishing an electrical conduction path when coins in a receptacleaccumulate to a predetermined height. A preferred embodiment of thismechanism comprises a vane member pivotally secured to the ceiling ofthe receptacle in such a manner that accumulating coins bear against thevane, thereby exerting a force directed to initiate pivotal movement.Movement of the vane forces a pair of armatures into contact with eachother, thereby establishing the required path.

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Another feature of the invention resides in a signal generator connectedto be activated by the concurrent operation of two switches. In oneembodiment, the generator is a transistor oscillator which is coupled toa source of activating power through a pair of switches having armatureswhich, by closure of the switches, are placed in series circuit witheach other.

Still another feature of the invention resides in a source of power foractivating the above-mentioned transistor oscillator. The sourcecomprises, in one illustrative configuration, an energy storage circuitconnected to develop a potential across its terminals and apply thatpotential, upon the concurrent existence of two conditions, between thecollector and emitter circuits of the transistor.

A further feature of the invention resides in an arrangement whereby asupervisory signal, indicating that coins in the cash receptacle of atelephone pay station have accumulated to a predetermined height, istransmitted over a telephone speech line to a central office without aseparate operator command. In one embodiment, this arrangement includesa supervisory signaling circuit operable in response to both a conditionexistent when coins in the cash receptacle have accumulated to apredetermined height and the operation of a conventional coin controlrelay regulated by the central oifice.

The foregoing and additional objects and features of the invention willbe more thoroughly understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment of the invention and theaccompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates, in schematic form, a supervisory signaling circuitsituated in a coin operated telephone substation and operable totransmit tones to a central office over a conventional voicetransmission line; and

FIG. 2 depicts, in sectional view, an illustrative embodiment of aswitch disposed in the cash receptacle and operable to establish anelectrical conduct-ion path when coins deposited in the receptacleaccumulate to a predetermined height.

With reference now directed to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the invention isshown embodied in a telephone system comprising a central ofiice 1 and acoin operated substation 2, coupled together by transmission line 3. Asis conventional in telephone practice, a ringing circuit 4 and thetransmitter-receiver portion 5 of substation 2, both shown in functionalblock diagram, are bridged across tip and ring conductors, labeled T andR respectively, of transmission line 3. A switchhook mechanism SH, whichmay assume any of a number of standard forms, is situated in series withtip conductor T at a point immediately preceding transmitter-receiver 5.Transmis sion line 3 is energized by a source of unidirectional current19 poled, as shown, to render tip conductor T negative with respect toring conductor R. Connected in series with the tip conductor betweenringing circuit 4 and transmitter-receiver 5 is the secondary winding 6of transformer 7, the transformer having a corresponding primary winding8 coupled to be energized by tonal signals generated by a transistoroscillator 9.

Oscillator 9 includes a transistor 10 shown, for illustrative purposes,as being of the P-N-P variety having emitter, base and collectorelectrodes 11, 12 and 13, respectively. Coupled between base 12 andcollector 13 is resistor 14 connected in series with the parallelcombination of an inductor 15 and capacitor 16. Coupled between base 12and emitter 11 is a capacitor 17, winding 8 of transformer 7, and aresistor 18, serially connected in the order recited. To complete theoscillator circuit, a capacitor 20 is connected between the junction ofwinding 8 and resistor 18 and the junction between resistor 14 and theshunt combination of inductor 15 and capacitor 16.

Bridged across the tip and ring conductors of transmisdecouples thestorage circuit siou line 3 is an energy storage circuit 21 which, aswill subsequently be explained in detail, functions to selectivelyactivate oscillator 9 to transmit supervisory signals to central oflice1 over transmission line 3-. Storage circuit 21 includes aunidirectional current element 22 having its anode connected to ringconductor R, a normally closed switch 23, a resistor 24, a. capacitor25, and a Zener diode 26 having its cathode coupled to tip conductor T,serially connected in the order recited. Connected to form a selectiveseries discharge path linking the junction of switch 23 and resistor 24to the cathode of Zener diode 26 are a pair of tandemly arrangednormally open switches 27 and 28, and a resistor 29. Connecting thecathode of Zener diode 26 to transistor through tip conductor andresistor 18 is a diode 31 poled to conduct forward current toward thetransistor.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, switches 23 and 27, shownschematically in well-known detached contact form, are a pair oftransfer contacts which, under the command'of a coin control relay 30*,alternately make and break the conduction paths in which their armaturesare serially situated. As is familiar to those versed in the art, coincontrol relay 30, by means of structure not shown, operates either torefund a coin to a subscriber or to deposit it in the cash receptacle inaccordance with the polarity of a pulse applied to ring conductor R byan operator located at the central otfice. Switch 28, one arrangement ofwhich is shown in detail in FIG. 2, establishes a conduction path whencoins in the cash receptacle have accumulated to a predetermined height.

As shown in FIG. 2, switch 28 comprises a contact member 40 and aresilient armature 32 suspended in cantilever fashion from block 33mounted on a supporting plate 34 which is situated directly above cover39 of cash receptacle 35. Armature 32 includes a finger 36 protrudingfrom its lower surface which extends down through an opening in plate34. Pivotally secured to the internal surface of cover 39 is a vane 37having an arcuate member 38 projecting from its upper surface. Themember 38 extends upward and protrudes through an opening in cover 39.Coins deposited in receptacle 35 accumulate, as illustrated, in aconical pile. As the quantity of coins in the box increases, a lateralforce is exerted on vane 37 thereby imparting vertical motion to member38. When the coins in receptacle 35 accumulate to a particular heightdictated by the geometrical characteristics of the vane, a conductionpath is established by virtue of member 38 forcing finger 36 to bringarmature 32 into contact with member 40'.

In operation, current flowing through a path comprising diode 22,normally closed'switch 23, resistor 24, capacitor and Zener diode 26develops a potential across the terminals of capacitor 25. Normally,oscillator '9 is inactive due -to the absence of an activatingpotential. Upon coins in receptacle 35 accumulating to a predeterminedheight, the discharge path for capacitor 25 is conditioned by closure ofswitch 28. When relay is next operated, switch 27 closes, thereby fullyestablishing the discharge path. Simultaneously, switch 23 opens andfrom ring conductor R. As a result, capacitor 25 discharges through theestablished path thereby rendering Zener diode 26 in its reverse-biasbreakdown condition. Since the cathode of the Zener diode is coupled toemitter 11 through diode 31 and resistor 18, and the anode of the Zenerdiode is coupled to collector 13 through the parallel combination ofinductor 15 and capacitor 16, oscillator 9 is activated and applies adistinct tone to the transmission line 3. Coin relay 30 is a slowrelease device which insures that the tone is applied for a distinctperiod of time. When relay 30 releases, switches 23 and 27 revert totheiroriginal states in which the charging path for capacitor 25 isestablished and, conversely, the discharge 'path opens. During eachsubsequent operation of coin control relay 30, tones will be transmittedto the central oflice until receptacle 35 has been emptied.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it should be evident to one skilled in the art that numerousother arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A telephone system including a coin operated telephone station, acoin receptacle associated with said station, a telephone line coupledto said station, signal generating means for applying a signal to saidline, and control means for selectively activating saidsignal-generating means, said control means including first switchingmeans to condition said signal generating means for operation when coinsin said receptacle have accumulated to a predetermined height, secondswitching means operable to activate said signal generating means whensaid signal generating means are conditioned, and means to operate saidsecond switching means.

*2. A telephone system including a coin operated telephone station, acoin receptacle associated with said station, a telephone line coupledto said station, signal generating means for applying a signal to saidline, first and second switching means associated with said signalgenerating means, control means connected to activate said signalgenerating means in response to the concurrent operation of said firstand second switching means, means responsive to a condition existentwhencoins in said receptacle accumulate to a predetermined height foroperating said first switching means, and means for selectivelyoperating said second switching means.

3. A telephone system including 'a coin operated telephone station, acoin receptacle associated with said station, a telephone line coupledto said station, signal generating means for applying a distinctive toneto said line, a Zener diode, said diode being connected to activate saidsignal generating means when in the reverse bias breakdown state, afirst and a second switch, means responsive to the concurrent operationof said first and second switches for rendering said diode in thereverse bias breakdown state, means responsive to a condition existentwhen coins in said receptacle have accumulated to a predetermined heightfor operating said first switch, and means for selectively operatingsaid second switch.

4. A telephone system including a coin operated telephone station, acoin recepticle associated with said station, a telephone line coupledto said station, a transistor oscillator connected to generate adistinctive tone, means for coupling electrical energy indicative ofsaid tone to said line, first and second switches, means for energizingsaid oscillator to generate said tone upon the concurrent operation ofsaid first and second switches, means'responsive to a condition existentwhen coins in said receptacle accumulate to a predetermined height foroperating said first switch, and means for selectively operating saidsecond switch.

5. A telemetering arrangement for indicating the existence of acondition to a remote location comprising a coin operated device, areceptacle suitable for the deposit of coins required to operate saiddevice, electrical transmission means interconnecting said remotelocation and said coin operated device, first and second switchesassociated with said coin operated device, means responsive to acondition existent when coins deposited in said receptacle accumulate toa predetermined height for operating said first switch, means forselectively operating said second switch, a transistor oscillatorandmeans for applying signals generated by said transistor oscillator tosaid transmission means upon the concurrent operation of said switches.

6. A telemetering arrangement for indicating to a remote location thatcoins in the cash receptacle of a coin operated device have accumulatedto a predetermined height comprising transmission means interconnectingsaid coin operated device and said remote location, means for generatingan electrical signal, a transformer having first and second windings,said first winding being connected to said transmission means and saidsecond winding being connected to the signal generating means, first andsecond switches, means responsive to a condition existent when coins insaid receptacle have accumulated to a predetermined height for operatingsaid first switch, means at said remote location for operating saidsecond switch, and means for activating the signal generating means uponthe concurrent operation of said first and second switches.

7. A telemetering arrangement for indicating to a remote location thatcoins in the cash receptacle of a coin operated device have accumulatedto a predetermined height comprising a member pivotally connected to aninterior surface of said receptacle, said member being disposed suchthat coins which have accumulated above a predetermined height in saidreceptacle bear against said member thereby exerting a force directed toproduce pivotal motion, a first switch connected to said member, saidswitch being constructed to operate in response to said pivotal motion,an oscillator associated with said coin operated device, transmissionmeans for transmitting signals generated by said oscillator to saidremote location, a second switch, means for operating said secondswitch, and means for activating said oscillator upon the concurrentoperation of said first and second switches.

8. A telemetering arrangement in accordance with claim 7 wherein saidmeans for operating said second switch is disposed at said remotelocation.

9. In a telephone system a coin operated telephone station including acoin receptacle and a coin control relay, enabling means for operatingsaid relay, switching means operative in response to coins in saidreceptacle having accumulated to a predetermined height, means forestab- 6 lishing a conduction path during the concurrent operation ofsaid relay and said switching means, and indicating means operative inresponse to l he establishment of said path for transmitting a signal toa remote location, said indicating means including a transistoroscillator and a transformer.

10. In a coin operated telephone station connected to transmit speechenergy over a transmission line, a transistor oscillator, a transformerconnected to apply signals generated by said oscillator to said line,control means responsive to the application thereto of a suitableelectrical potential for activating said oscillator, energy storagemeans for developing a potential suitable to activate said oscillator,means for applying energy appearing on said line to said storage means,a cash receptacle for storing coins deposited to operate said station, afirst switch associated with said receptacle, means responsive to acondition existent when coins in said receptacle have accumulated to apredetermined height for operating said first switch, a second switch,means for operating said second switch, means responsive to theconcurrent operation of said first and second switches for establishinga conduction path, and means for applying the potential developed bysaid energy storage means to said oscillator through said conductionpath, whereby said oscillator is rendered operative.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,007,669 Yates July 9, 1935 2,502,999 Shann Apr. 4, 1950 2,856,460Faulkner Oct. 14, 1958 2,883,463 Goodale Apr. 21, 1959

1. A TELEPHONE SYSTEM INCLUDING A COIN OPERATED TELEPHONE STATION, ACOIN RECEPTACLE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID STATION, A TELEPHONE LINE COUPLEDTO SAID STATION, SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS FOR APPLYING A SIGNAL TO SAIDLINE, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ACTIVATING SAID SIGNALGENERATING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING FIRST SWITCHING MEANS TOCONDITION SAID SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS FOR OPERATION WHEN COINS IN SAIDRECEPTACLE HAVE ACCUMULATED